Gauging and assorting apparatus



Oct. 22, 1946. EHQRTQN T 2,409,682

GAUGING AND Assomme APPARATUS Failed Na 19 15 S Sheets-Sheet' 1 I LucienBA/orton By F'ZetcherC'IS veed Oct. 22 1946. .L. B. HQRTQN AL 2.409.682

GAUGING AND ASSORTING APPARATUS l l INVENTORS LZ/cz'enB/Yorton i294 BY Flelther Speed I Oct. 22, 1946. L. a. HORTON ETAL 1 2,409,682

GAUGING AND ASSORTING APPARATUS INVENTORS i, Fletcher CfSpeei Patented Oct. 22, 1946 2,409,682 GAUGING AND ASSORTING APPARATUS Lucien B. Horton, Independence, and Fletcher C.

Speed, Kansas City, Mo., assignors to Reming- .ton Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn., a

corporation of Delaware Application November 13, 1943, Serial No. 510,164

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates, in general, to article gauging, and, in particular, to an improved machine for automatically gauging and separating ammunition components of various lengths.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings is adapted particularly to gauge cartridge cases, but it will be clear from the following description, that the invention is not limited in its usefulness to gauging metallic ammunition components but that an object of the invention is to gauge and separate articles either solid. or hollow and of an infinite variety of materials and geometrical shapes.

A further object of the invention is to gauge cartridge cases following final trim and to separate cases which are outside of permissible tolerances from cases of acceptable length. A stillfurther object is to feed cartridge cases substantially continuously to rotating gauge members which gauge long cases and cases of normal length and separate the long and normal length cases from each other and from the short cases.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be described in greater detail in the following description of the invention, one exemplary embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved article gauging and separating machine of this invention.

Fig. 2' is a plan view of the gauging machine shown in Fig. .1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the gauging machine. I Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig.5 is a perspective view of one of the rotat-. able gauge members.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the cartridge case carrier showing the stop means for removing short cases therefrom and discharging the short cases through an aperture of the table top.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises a table, indicated at IU, having four legs H and a substantially square table top l2, the legs being constructed of any suitable material such as iron angle bars and the top consisting of a substantially fiat relatively thick metal plate fastened by welded joints or bolts to the top of the four legs ll. Below the table top l2 and supported at its four corners by the legs H is a second substantially fiat metal plate It which forms a base for supporting elements of the drive mechanism hereinafter described. A horizontally arranged shelf 14 is shown fastened to the pair of legs H at the right hand side of the machine, see Fig. 1, adjacent the bottom of the legs and is adapted to support a quarter horsepower motor M which is fastened to the shelf i l and provided with a pair of pulleys P and P.

In accordance with the power characteristics of the motor shown in the drawings, the pulley P is driven at substantially .1140 R. P. M. while the pulley P is driven through a suitable speed reduction unit at substantially 27 R. P. M. The quarter horsepower motor M is one which is readily adaptable for use with the gauging apparatus hereinafter described, but it will be understood that other suitable power means may be used and that the particular motor shown does not constitute a limitation of the invention hereinafter described and claimed.

The drive pulley P is connected by a belt to a driven pulley it which is keyed or otherwise fastened on the outer end of a horizontally disposed shaft 16, the latter being rotatably supported intermediate its ends in a bushed bearing I? which is bolted to the base plate l3 adjacent the outer end thereof, see Fig. 1, the longitudinal axis of the bearing I! being substantially coincident with a medial line of the base plate, as indicated in Fig. '3.

A suitable bevelled pinion gear I8 is keyed to the inner end of the shaft IE and is adapted to mesh with a rotatable bevelled ring gear 19. In the embodiment shown, the speed ratio of the drive pulley P and driven pulley i5 is substantially 3- to 1, the drive pulley P rotating the driven pulley at substantially 9 R. P. M. Similarly, the speed ratio of the bevelled pinion and bevelled ring gear is substantially 3 to 1, whereby the ring gear is rotated at substantially 3 R. P. M. I

The bevelled ring gear i 9 is fastened on the lower end of a substantially vertical shaft 2i which is rotatably mounted at its lower end in a flanged sleeve bushing 22, the latter being supported by its flange 23 in a central aperture of a U-shaped bracket 2 the legs25 of which are adapted to span the bevelled ring gear I 9, as shown in Fig' 3, and to be fastened to the base plate by bolts 26.

The upper end of the shaft 20 extends upwardly through a centrally located drilled or bored hole in the table top l2, the hole in the table being of suitable diameter to receive a flanged sleeve bushing 21 having a flange 28 which rests onthe upper surface of the table [2.

Carried by the upper end of the shaft 29 above the flange 28 of the bushing 21 is a rotatable carrier disk or dial 29 having a hub portion 33 on its underside, see Fig. 4, provided with a radially drilled and tapped hole for receiving a set screw 32 adapted to secure the dial to rotate with the shaft 20. Mounted freely on the upper end of the shaft and resting on the transfer dial 29 is an apertured tongue-shaped block 33 having a substantially straight back edge 34 provided with an upstanding fin 35, the latter comprising one end of a relatively long thinstrip of metal, such as brass, of suitable height to constitute a guide means for the cartridge cases mounted uprightly on the revolving carrier disk 25. This guide strip 35 is fastened securely at its inner end to the back edge 34 of the tongue-shaped block 33 and is curved outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, to form an arcuate wall 36 extending from the rear edge of the dial 29 forwardly on the left hand side of its center post 20 to a point at the front of the dial adjacent the periphery thereof. The remaining length of the guide strip comprises a substantially straight piece or chord 3'? which extends across the forward edge of the dial 29 and is adapted to be fastened by a bracket 38 to a fixed member or part of the table such as the guide 51' hereinafter described to positively prevent displacement of the guide strip 36 with respect to the disk during rotation thereof. The portion of the carrier disk isolated by the chord 37 comprises, as shown in Fig. 2, a substantially segmental area. It will be understood that the lower edge of the guide strip including the wall portion 38 and chord portion 31 rests freely on top of the rotatable disk 29, the guide strip being held from movement by the inertia of the tongue-shaped block 33 and by the fastening means 38 at the end of the chord 31.

A square shoulder 39 is formed on the upper end of the shaft 29 above the upper surface of the tongue-shaped block 33, see Fig. 3, the reduced end of the shaft being provided with screw threads adjacent its upper end. Supported on the shoulder 39 of the shaft 20 is a disk 48 having vertical, substantially equally spaced notches M in its periphery, the notched disk being securely fastened to the shaft by a capstan nut 62 screwed onto the threaded end of the shaft 23.

Suitable agitator means is associated with the fixed guide means or curvilinear wall 35 and the notched rotatable disk 46 and comprises a bell crank lever 43 pivotally supported at its elbow by a suitable bolt 44 on the underside of an arm portion of a supporting bracket 65, the outer end of which is bolted or otherwise secured to the outer edge of the table top 2. The inner end or arm portion of the bracket Q5 extends across the adjacent edge of the rotatable carrier disk 29 and above the upper edge of the guide wall 36 as shown in Fig. 4. One end of the bell crank lever 43 is forked or bifurcated as at 46 while the opposite end of the lever is provided with adownwardly extending pin 41. The latter is adapted to be held resiliently in engagement with the notches 4| of the disk 40 by a coil spring 43, one end of which is fastened to a stud 49 on the adjacent arm of the bell crank lever, the opposite end of the spring being anchored to a stud 5i! stepped into the top of the shaft 28. As the latter rotates the notched disk 40 rotates thereby alternately displacing and releasing the resiliently held pin 4! whereby an oscillatory motion is transmitted to the arms of the bell crank lever 43.

The portion of the agitator which is adapted 4 to engage the cartridge cases on the carrier disk comprises an arcuate thin metal strip 52, the curvature of which corresponds substantially to the curvature of the guide wall 35. As shown in Fig. 4, the agitator strip 52 is supported uprightly by its lower edge on top of the rotatable carrier disk substantially parallel to and closely adjacent the guide wall 36 and is adapted to be moved relative to the rotatable carrier disk and fixed guide wall 36 by means of the oscillating bifurcated arm 46 of the bell crank lever 3. To this end, the agitator is provided with a lug 53 which extends laterally from the inner face thereof and is adapted to project through a longitudinal closed slot at in the guide wall 35, the lug having a substantially vertical pin 55 secured at its outer end adapted to be engaged in the bifurcations 46 of the bell crank lever 2. Thus, as the latter is oscillated, the agitator plate moves forwardly and backwardly over the outer face of the guide wall 35. A second coil spring 55 is shown fastened at one end to the bifurcated arm of the bell crank lever and at its opposite end to a suitable fixed part of the table such as one of the brackets 76 hereinafter described, the second spring being adapted to augment the restraining force of the spring 48.

Additional guide means are provided around the periphery of the rotatable carrier disk 29 to guide the cartridge cases mounted on the disk into proximity to the agitator plate 52 and toward the gauging and separating means hereinafter described and comprises a curved relatively thin strip of metal 51 supported uprightly by its lower edge on the table top l2 and provided with suitable tabs 58 on its lower edge to receive screws 59 by which the guide 57 is fixed to the table. As shown in Fig. 2, two of these peripheral guide strips 51 and 51' respectively are provided, one on each side of the disk 29, each strip subtending an angle of substantially In the present embodiment, the curved guide wall 36 and its agitator 52 are disposed eccentrically with respect to the peripheral guide '57 at the left hand edge of the disk so as to form an arcuate converging throat T adjacent the front edge of the disk, the width of the throat T being substantially equal to the diameter of a cartridge case. As the carrier disk 29 rotates, the cartridges which have been placed uprightly thereon are moved into the throat both by the rotation of the disk and by the oscillatory motion of the agitator, the cartridge cases being thereby arranged in successive alignment as shown adjacent the periphery of the carrier disk 29,

Suitable means is provided at the mouth of the throat T to separate the successive cartridges and to arrange them in substantially equally spaced relationship on the outer edge of the carrier disk and, as shown, comprises a toothed wheel 66 keyed to a vertical rotatable shaft 62 having bevelled ends, the lower bevelled end 63 being seated in a countersink or bearing properly located in the table top l2 while the upper bevelled end 64 of the shaft 62 is seated in a countersink or bearing in the end of a screw threaded stud 65. The latter is threadedly secured in the outer end of an overhanging substantially horizontal arm 66 of a bracket or post 61 which is fastened at its lower end to the table top l2 by suitable screws 68 as shown in Fig. 2. The location of the shaft 62 with respect to the carrier disk 29 is such that the dedendum circle of the toothed wheel 60 bears a predetermined relation to the outer edge of the rotatable carrier disk for the purpose hereinafter described. 5

Rotation of the'shaft 62' in its bearingsis retarded or braked by means of a resilient leaf spring 69, the rearward end of which is adapted to bear against the surface of the shaft 62 while the opposite end of the spring 69' is fastened by screws iii to the post 6?. Thus, as the cartridge cases are urged forwardly from the mouth of the throat T, each case will be engaged successively between a pair of teeth on the periphery of the rotatable wheel 68 which is thereupon rotated by engagement of a case therewith, the latter being separated from the preceding and next succeeding case by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the tooth of the wheel. Moreover, due to the predetermined relationship of the dedendum circle of the toothed wheel with respect to the outer edge of the rotating disk as each case is pushed into a pair of teeth, it will be positively and accurately positioned on the disk at exactly the same distance radially from the outer edge thereof, and hence will be automatically arranged uniformly for translation into engagement with the gauging means.

The gauging means is indicated generally at 12 in Fig. 3 and comprises a shaft '53 rotatably supported in a plane substantially parallel to the horizontal plane of the carrier disk. To this end, a pair of bearing brackets M are fastened to the front edge of the table l2 by suitable screw 15, each bearing bracket having a rearwardly extending overhanging arm l6, see Figs. 2, 3 and 6, provided with a horizontally drilled hole to receive a roller bearing ll. The gauge shaft 13 is rotatably supported at its opposite ends in the respective roller bearings Ti, see Fig, 1, the right hand end of the shaft 13 being extended through its roller bearing El and bracket arm 16 and provided with a suitable coupling, indicated generally at 58, which is adapted to connect the gauge shaft 13 with an axially aligned drive shaft E9. The latter is rotatably mounted in the upper end of a substantially vertical channel shaped post 88 which is provided at its lower end with an integral forwardly extending foot portion 82 terminating in spaced parallel bearings 83. The post 8!! is fastened securely to the table top l2 by means of suitable screws 84 which project up through the table top l2 into the bottom of the foot 82. A short stud shaft 85 is shown mounted in the bearings 83, the stud shaft 85 being adapted to rotatably support a double sheave idler pulley 85.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, a pair of suitably spaced guide pulleys 81 is shown rotatably supported on a bolt 88 which projects forwardly from one leg ll of the table substantially beneath the double sheave idler pulley 85, the pulleys 8! being adapted in a well known manner to guide an endless belt 89 connecting the drive pulley P of the motor M with one sheave of the idler pulley 86. The second sheave of the idler pulley 85 is shown connected by a relatively short belt Sill to a single groove pulley 52 which is keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 19 between the vertical walls of the channel shaped post 80. It will be evident that the belts 89 and 90 transmit the rotation of the drive pulley P to the coupled shafts l9 and 13. In the embodiment shown, the speed ratio of the pulley and belt drive is such that the shaft 13 is driven at substantially 950 R. P. M.

The gauge members, two being shown in the present embodiment as indicated generally at 93 and 93 are adapted to gauge and separate overlong cases and cases of normal length respectively by engaging said articles and ejecting them from said carrier disk. Each gauge member comprises an apertured hub portion 94 adapted to slide onto the rotatable shaft 13 and to be secured thereto at a predetermined point thereon by a set screw or other fastening means. Extending radially from the hub on a diameter thereof area pair of oppositely disposed projections or spokes 95, each having a radially drilled hole in its outer face adapted to receive a gauge finger or pin 96, the latter being secured in their respective holes by suitable set screws 91 which are threaded in drilled and tapped holes in the sides of the spokes 95. By means of the set screws 91, the gauging fingers or pins 95 may be held in adjusted position in the spokes 95, the outer ends of the gauge pins being adjustable to a predetermined distance from the top of the carrier disk 29. Further, as shown in Figs. 3' and 5, the gauge pins 96 of the oppositely disposed spokes 95 are not on an axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of the spokes 9'5 but each pin is disposed slightly to one side or oil center so that its bevelled leading edge 96' lies substantially on the longitudinal axis of the spokes 95, as shown in Fig. 3.

In accordance with this construction, the leading edge 95 of each gauge finger is adapted to strike the back edge of a case which has been moved thereunder by the carrier disk 29 and to thereupon knock or eject the case outwardly or forwardly off of the edge of the carrier. Suitable chutes 91 and 9'! are fastened to the table opposite each rotatable gauge member 93 and 93' respectively and are adapted to receive and transmit cases knocked therein by the respective gauge members into suitable receiver means or tote boxes, not shown.

Additional means are provided for removing the short cases which will pass unmolested beneath the rotating gauge members 93 and 93. To this end, a substantially rectangular discharge port or aperture 98 is formed in the table top l2 at a, point therein such that a portion of the aperture 98 underlies a portion of the rim of the carrier disk 29 at the intersection thereof with the end 31 of the chord 31, see Fig. 6, said end portion 31' being hereinafter referred to as a fixed stop. Short cases being carried around on the disk to a point adjacent the opening 98 are moved into engagement with the fixed stop 31' whereupon a component of force acting parallel to the fixed stop 31 moves the short case off of the edge of the dial into the discharge aperture 98. A suitable chute 99 may be provided for delivering articles from the aperture into a suitable receptacle.

In the operation of the machine, the cartridge cases are moved manually in an upright position onto the carrier disk from a suitable assembling platform I00 which is fastened at the back of the table l2 and provided at its forward edge with a curved portion ml partially circumscribing the rear portion of the disk 29, the top of the assembling platform and the top of the disk being substantially flush. The assembled cases are carried by the rotating disk in massed formation between the arcuate guide walls 51 and 35 and into engagement with the oscillating agitator 52. As the cases move into the throat 'I of the'guide walls, the cases are arranged in successive order adjacent the outer edge of the disk and subsequently move into engagement with the rotatable toothed Wheel 60 which arranges the cases in equally spaced relationship around the periphery of the carrier disk at a predetermined position from the outer edgethereof in the manner hereinabove described. The cases are then carried beneath the rapidly rotating gauge members. The gauge fingers 96 of the gauge member 93, which first engages the moving cases, are adjusted so as to strike the upper rear edge of all cases which are longer than a normal cartridge length and eject the overlong cases off of the perimeter of the disk into the chute 91; the gauge pins 96 of the second gauge member 93 are suitably adjusted to strike the back edge of all cases of normal length and to eject these cases 01f of the disk into the chute 91. Those cases which are shorter than a normal length case pass unmolested beneath the first and second rotating gauge members and are carried around by the disk until they engage the fixed stop means 31' whereupon the short cases are displaced from the disk into the discharge aperture 98 in the manner described above.

The gauging machine of this invention thus embodies rotating gauge members which automatically gauge to very close limits and separate overlong cartridge cases from cases of normal length and from short cases, the three respective lengths of cases being discharged into separate bins or receptacles.

A particular embodiment of the invention has been described in full detail. It will be understood that many of the details are immaterial and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for gauging and :assorting articles comprising a movable gauge member; means for moving said gauge member; darrier means constructed and arranged .to move articles to be gauged in proximity to said gauge member, said gauge member being constructed and arranged to strike the upper rear edges only of articles exceeding a predetermined length and to eject said articles from said carrier means in a direction transverse to their direction of movement when supported on the carrier; movable means adjacent said carrier to separate the articles on said carrier so as to deliver them to said gauging member in successive order; brake means arranged to control the movement of the article separating means; and means to guide articles on said carrier into engagement with the article separating means.

2. A machine for gauging and assorting articles comprising a table top having an aperture; a pair of gauge members; means on said table top to rotatably support said gauge members in spaced parallel relation; a carrier supported on said table top comprising a rotatable disk adapted to move articles to be gauged in proximity to said rotating gauge members; power means supported by said table adapted to rotate said gauge members and said carrier disk, the first rotating gauge member being adapted to strike the upper edges of articles of a predetermined length to knock said articles oif of the carried disk substantially opposite said first gauge member, the second rotating gauge member being adapted to strike the upper edges of articles of less than the predetermined length to knock these articles off of said carried disk substantially opposite said second gauge member; a rotatable notched disk supported on said table top adjacent the periphery of said carrier disk adapted to separate the articles and to deliver them to said rotating gauging members in successive order; brake means constructed and arranged to control the rotation of said notched disk; and a pair of curvilinear guide members on said carrier disk fixed relative thereto to guide articles on said carrier disk outwardly to the periphery thereof for engagement with said rotatable notched disk.

LUCIEN B. HORTON. FLETCHER C. SPEED. 

